How to Write Secure Code

Overview

Following serious attacks on national infrastructures, security specialists discovered that most of the vulnerabilities that caused these attacks resulted from flawed and vulnerable code written by developers. Developers must now master secure coding techniques, as we find ourselves in a situation where anyone can use available tools to write a script that can effectively disable a large organization's systems because developers wrote weak code. In this course, you will also see details of the latest cyber attacks that have been exploited and the countermeasures used to stop and prevent these attacks. You will see for yourself how developer errors led to catastrophic attacks, and by participating in labs during the course, you will be able to apply security controls in practice and gain the experience and knowledge necessary to create secure code.

This course aims to help in the following areas:

• Helping developers master secure coding techniques.
• Helping software testers test application security before deployment to the production environment.
• Helping software architects understand application-related risks.
• Helping team leaders establish basic security principles for developers.
• Helping webmasters configure servers to avoid configuration errors.

Who is this course for?

This secure coding course is ideal for people working in positions such as, but not limited to:

• Web developers
• Mobile app developers
• Java developers
• .NET developers
• Software architects
• Software testers
• Security specialists
• Webmasters

Requirements

• Basic knowledge of any programming language.
• Basic knowledge of the software development lifecycle.

Module 1: Introduction to Secure Coding

• Overview of secure coding practices
• Common software vulnerabilities
• Importance of a secure software development lifecycle

Module 2: Basics of Web, Windows, and Mobile Applications

• Introduction to application platforms
• Security implications for each platform
• Best practices for secure development

Module 3: Application Attacks and Exploits

• Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
• SQL Injection
• Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF)

Module 4: Server Attacks and Exploits

• Denial of Service (DoS) attacks
• Buffer Overflow (BOF)
• Common server vulnerabilities

Module 5: Validation and Verification

• Input validation techniques
• Data sanitization and output encoding
• Verification of security measures

Module 6: Security Controls and Countermeasures

• Implementation of access control
• Using encryption for data protection
• Protection against common threats

Module 7: Secure Mobile Application Coding

• Security considerations in mobile application development
• Implementation of secure mobile application architectures
• Secure mobile data management

Module 8: Security Standards and Testing

• Overview of security standards (e.g., OWASP)
• Vulnerability testing
• Best practices for security testing